Turning to another important issue, the Government have suspended
30 of the UK's 350 arms export licences to Israel. It is a
decision that the Chief Rabbi says “beggars belief” and will
“encourage our shared enemies”. Can the Prime Minister therefore
explain how his decision will help to secure the release of the
101 hostages still being held by Hamas?
The Prime Minister
May I start by saying that I think the whole House will be
shocked by the horrific killing of six hostages in the last few
days? I know that I speak for the whole House when I say that.
The remaining hostages must be released, and we need a ceasefire
to ensure that that can happen, that desperately needed aid can
get into the region, and that we can begin the path to a
two-state solution.
The right hon. Gentleman asks how we arrived at this decision. He
knows very well, because the legal framework is clear. The latest
guidance was issued in 2021, under his Government, and that means
that licences have to be kept under review, as they were by his
Government. I think he probably knows the advice that was given
to his Government; he understands the framework. We have carried
out the review in the same way and come to a clear legal
conclusion, and shared that conclusion and assessment with
Parliament.
We will, of course, continue to stand by Israel's right to
self-defence, but it is important that we are a country committed
to the international rule of law. That gives us the strength of
argument in discussion with our allies on important issues. This
is a difficult issue—I recognise that—but it is a legal decision,
not a policy decision. The Leader of the Opposition knows the
framework—[Interruption.]The Conservatives shout, but they issued
the guidance and they know what the test is. That test has been
assessed. We have come to a conclusion, and we have put that
before the House for it to consider.
I appreciate the Prime Minister's answer, but he will know that
decisions like this also have important and broader geopolitical
implications. He mentioned allies. It is essential that we
maintain transatlantic unity in the face of terrorist threats and
avoid any perception of splits between our two nations. Can he
therefore update the House, or tell it what engagement he had
with the United States prior to taking this significant
decision?
The Prime Minister
I acknowledge the importance of working with our allies on all
issues, as we have been doing, as I was able to make very clear
at the NATO summit that I attended in the early summer. Of
course, as the right hon. Gentleman and the House would expect,
we have talked this through with our allies. They understand;
they have a different legal system. That is the point they made.
[Interruption.]The shadow Foreign Secretary chunters. This is a
serious issue and it requires serious consideration. The Leader
of the Opposition knows the legal framework very well. He also
knows that applying the framework—the facts of that framework—and
arriving at a decision does not permit me to simply say, “I am
not going to implement the legal decision or conclusion that has
been reached.” I do not think he is really inviting me to do
that.
These decisions have not only geopolitical consequences but
emotional ones. The Prime Minister took that action on the very
same day as the funerals of Israeli hostages
murdered by Hamas—something that the Board of Deputies of British
Jews described as
“a terrible, terrible message to be sending”.
I hope the Prime Minister understands the hurt that has been
caused. Will he take this opportunity to reassure Israel and the
Jewish community that the United Kingdom and this House stand
behind Israel and its right to self-defence?
The Prime Minister
Let me be very clear, as I have said before and I say again: we
recognise and support Israel's right of self-defence, and we have
taken action in support of that right of self-defence. I have
made that repeatedly clear in all my engagements with Israel,
across the region and with all our allies; I stand by that.
In relation to licences, this is not an Israel issue; it is the
framework for all licences that must be kept under review. It is
the same test for all licences, as the Prime Minister knows, and
we have applied the law to the facts and come to a legal
conclusion. I do not think the Prime Minister—[Interruption.] I
do not think the Leader of the Opposition is really inviting me
to put that to one side. This is a serious issue; we either
comply with international law or we do not. We have strength in
our arguments only because we comply with international law. I
appreciate that the Conservative party did not think that
international law mattered, and that is why we got into the
pickle that we did.
